Treating process



. s m m m w v W e U n 8 W C d m 5 W MIG w ed 6 5 9 2 I, OO O n u m a 5 Patented June 11, 1940 s PATENT OFFICE Mead Cornell, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Cornell Machine Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio UNITED STATE Application August 17, 1938, Serial No. 225,356

1 Claim. (01. 259-436) This invention relates, as indicated, to treating Supported on the cover plate 3 is a housing process for the particular treatment of materials member generally indicated at 5, which is pro and is an improvement of the process and appavided with anti-friction bearings t and l rotatratus of my prior Patent No. 2,042,880. ably supporting a vertically disposed hollow shaft 5 'It will be observed that the apparatus and 8. The hollow shaft 8 is at its lower end sup- 5 process of my said prior patent is characterized, s ported in an anti-friction bearing 9 carried by a in that the material to be mixed or treated is bracket member Ill. The bracket member I0 is impounded centrally of, a rotating member and supported from the side wall I by means of legs then centrifugally attenuated as a continuous II and I2 and the supp y P p wh h a o S rves 10 film over said member while mechanically supas a supporting leg. 10 V ported on one side only, and whereby an intimate The upper end 14 of the housing 5 carries an and thorough mixing and treating of the work electric motor l5 which drives the shaft 8 through material is effected. the flexible coupling 16.

The present invention is directed to an impp r ed in paced rela ion on the hollow l5 provement in such process and apparatus whereshaft 8 are opp y disposed Substantially 15 by the components, or at least certain of them rm d sc l1 d preferably of different which are to be mixed or otherwise combined in me r an so r n h h p rip r edge a treating step, are separately attenuated into of fl l fl lies in a planevwhich intercontinuous films and uch film th b u ht t l sects the work surface of the larger disc. While gether to the accomplishment of the desired mixin the drawing e larger d c as ee l ustra ed 29 ing or treating. It is, therefore, a principal object asithe upper O and the Smaller disc illustrated of my invention t provide n improved appaas the lower one, nevertheless it is within the rams and process of the character described. cflntemplabioll Of y invention o ev se the Other objects of my invention will appear as the P s f these p t 2| description proceeds. i I Mounted on the hollow shaft 8 and capable of 26 1 To the accomplishment of the foregoing and movement axially with respect thereto, and posirelated ends, said invention then consists of. the tinned between the discs l1 a d I8, are spreader means hereinafter fully described and particumembers and tTheSe/ Sp e e larly pointed out in the claim. The annexed are annular in form, tapering t Mather Sharp :0 drawing and the following description setting d at t r p r i s. nd ar r s i ly forth in detail certain means a d one mode of forced apart and into engagement with their ascarrying outlthe invention, such disclosed means Social-ted discs by means f a Spring 2L One of and mode illustrating, however, but one of various the Spreader members I9 y b provided l ways in which the principle of the invention may with all i tion hearing, such as 22, h 86 beused. g which thespring 2| acts so as to permitfree In said annexed drawing; relative rotation between the spreader" members, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional i w partially in if this should be necessary or desirable, since elevation of one form of the apparatus embodygenerally e spreader members are ing the principles of, my v t and Fig 2 is capable of rotation relative to the hollow shaft 8. 40 a transverse sectional view of the apparatus 11- The hollow shaft 8 is Provided with two Plugs 40' lustrated in Fig. 1, taken on a plane substantially 22 23 closingrthe passage therethmugh at the indicated by the line 2 2 points where these plugs occur.

Ref i now more Specifically f drawing In the regions respectively generally indicated and more especially to Fig. 1 the apparatus comby the reference characiiers 25 i the c wall of the hollow shaft is provided with a pluprising my invention includes a housing generrality of openings therethrough for the purpose ally indicated at I, provided with a bottom 2, a h fte fun 1 i ed cover plate 3, and supporting legs 4. Body I is erema r-more; y exp a n I The housing 5 is enlarged, as indicated, around preferably cylmdncal in form the bottom 2 the area 24 of the shaft 8, and the anti-friction and top 3 are preferably curved in the manner bearings 5 and 1 are of the type providing a fl id 5o illustrated/so that when the process is carried on sea], A supply conduit 21 is connected t t under a vacuum or elevated pressure, the ends housing 5 for the purpose of introducing some of and side wall of the container housing the appathe material to be treated to the apparatus. ratus where the process is performed will be Interiorly of the housing l and supportedfrom mechanically strengthened against failure. the cover plate 3 by suitable dependingbrackets 3a, there is provided an annular deflecting ring 28 adjacent the peripheral edge of the larger disc. A discharge conduit 29 is connected to the bottom 2 for the purpose of withdrawing from the apparatus the material which, has been treated. A conduit is connected to the top 3 of. the apparatus through which the space defined by the housing I may be evacuated so that the treating process may be carried on in a vacuum or alternatively a treating fiuid, such as a gas under pressure may be introduced to the apparatus through the conduit 30.

The function of operation of the above described form of apparatus is briefly as follows: The motor I5 is energized driving the discs I! and I8 and their associated spreader members I9 and 28. A portion of the material to be treated, or more particularly one component of the desired ultimate mixture, is introduced to the apparatus through the conduit 21 and another portion of the material is introduced to the apparatus through the conduit l3. The material which flows through the conduit 21 passes into the space around the hollow shaft 8 defined by the housing 5. It flows through the openings 28 downwardly through the shaft 8, and is discharged through the openings 25 into the space between the spreader member I8 and its associated disc 11. Pressure of the material in this lastdefined space causes the spreader member l8 to move away from its associated disc l1, and since the latter is rotating at a relatively high speed, the material thus liberated will pass outwardly over the under face of the disc H in the form of a highly attenuated continuous film which is mechanically supported on one side only.

- Similarly, that portion of thematerial which is introduced to the apparatus through the conduit' i3 passes upwardly through the lower end of the hollowshaft 8 and is discharged through the openings 28 into the space between the spreader member 20 and its associated disc l8, from whence it flows outwardly over the upper surface of the disc l8 in a highly'attenuated continuous film mechanically supported on one side only.

It is important to note that in carrying out the operation of the apparatus in the preferred manner in practicing the process of my invention, the outer periphery of the disc is spaced sufficiently from the lower surface of the disc l1, so as to, in no way, interfere either with the passage of the thin film outwardly over the disc I! or the discharge of the thin film from the periphery of the disc N. The film which flows outwardly across the under face of the disc I! from the central portion thereof therefore passes undisturbedpast the peripheral edge of the disc I8. The continuous film which is discharged from the peripheral edge of the disc l8, however, fiows on to'the under face of the disc l1, due to the overlapping arrangement of the discs, and isthere instantly and completely intermingled with the original film generated on the disc i1. While not illustrated in the drawing, it is within the contemplation of my invention to alter the slope of the active face of the-larger. disc at the point where the continuous film from the smaller disc is discharged thereto, so as to compensate for the increased thickness in film, if this should be necessary in treating particular types of materials. Thus, the disc H in the annular area between its peripheral edge and the area where the film from the smaller disc i8 is delivered thereto, may be curved outwardly at a different and preferably a greater angle than the central portion, of the disc N. If the mixing of the two attenuated films is to be increased, or if the film from the smaller disc is of such a nature that it will not be picked up readily by the larger disc, then the outer peripheral area of the larger disc just defined may be disposed at an angle more acute to the axis of its rotation.

The ,mixed and/or treated material is discharged from the peripheral edge of the disc I] in the form of a continuous film onto the deflecting ring 28 which deflects such continuous film, withoutbreaking it up, downwardly against the side wall I so that the film may flow downwardly into the; collecting chamber at the bottom of the apparatus.

In making a mixture of two components, or in treating one material with another, such two components will be respectively admitted to the apparatus through the conduits l3 and 21, to be later'brought together in the form of highly attenuated continuous films in the manner above described. When a mixture of more than'two components is to be made, or if, for example, a mixture is to be treated by means of an additional component, such groups of components may be respectively admitted to the apparatus through the conduits l3 and 21. If the treating process carried out by the apparatus involves a reaction, then generally the respective phases contributing to such reaction will be admitted through the separate conduits I3 and 21, respectively, and not brought together until they have been attenuated, as described.

The above described apparatus is particularly suitable for use in carrying out a process of treating materials where it is essential that there be a complete dispersion of one component in the other immediately the components are brought together, so as to preclude against over-treating certain portions of one or the other component which might result if there was even slight delay in effecting complete dispersion.

While only one pair of discs, 1. e., a large disc and a smaller disc, has been illustrated, it is nevertheless within the contemplation of my invention to employ more than two such discs in carrying out my process if it should be desirable to attenuate more than two components before bringing them together. This may be readily accomplished by employing either an additional smaller disc, the peripheral edge of which will discharge onto theactive surface of the larger disc, or by the use of a disc larger than H, for

example, onto which the latter disc will discharge.

The apparatus and process comprising my invention are adapted to a wide variety of uses, among which may be named the following:

The blending or mixing of oil stock such as petroleum oils; the mixing of liquids and slurries such as, for example, treating a fatty oil with a slurry of treating clayfthe alkali treatments of fatty oils for the purpose of neutralizing thrfree fatty acids contained therein; the acid treatment of resins, etc.

The alkali treatment of fatty oils for the pur-' pose of saponifying the free fatty acids contained film from the edge or the upper disc to the side wall of the container, any gas introduced in the lower part of the apparatus such as by direct introduction or vaporization, as by vaporization of the liquid chlorine, must pass upwardly through such film in passing to the escape.

pipe I0.

The described apparatus is particularly useful for the acid treating of resins, where, unless practically instantaneous and complete dispersion of the acid in the resin is efl'ected, the former will have a tendency to scorch the latter. It will be observed by the use of the present apparatus, the acid being attenuated by the lower disc and discharged onto the resin-film of the upper disc is brought into intimate contact only with that portion or the resin which the acid is designed to treat.

In case the apparatus is employed for the purpose of carrying on an exo-thermicreaction, the reaction, it will be observed, takes place at the very outer periphery of the upper disc and is immediately discharged against the side wall I of the container and in order to control the temperature of the reaction, such side wall may, therefore, be cooled by suitable means such as a brine jacket.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the means and the steps herein disclosed, provided those stated by the following claim or its equivalenttbe employed.

I, therefore, particularlypoint out and distinctly claim as my invention:

The method of mixing two liquid bodies which comprises the steps of maintaining an impounded quantity of each such body respectively centrally of separate rotating members, radially displacing each or said bodies into separate continuous films respectively supported on one side only on said rotating. members, centrifugally attenuating said separate films, merging said separate continuous films into a merged continuous film, centrifugally attenuating said merged film and then collecting said attenuated merged film.

MEAD CORNELL. 

